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Next, brace yourselves if you are easily offended. Yes, we made a joke about 419 scammers in the context of news that Nokia's billionth phone had shipped in Nigeria:

Isn't the Nigeria=419 joke starting to get a bit old now? OK, corruption and fraud are huge problems in Nigeria (although I reckon the biggest problem of all here is bureaucracy) but that kind of attitude really isn't helping to fix things.

I'm working in Nigeria trying to improve things just a little bit, but keep hitting problems where potential equipment suppliers will ignore attempts to contact them because they assume any email coming from Nigeria must be a 419.

Kevin

As long as the emails keep coming, we'll keep making jokes about them. That being said, it obviously isn't great if the preponderance of the scam emails has had a knock on effect on legitimate businesses...

Do you not realise this is a Scam? Classic scam e-mail from Nigeria! I received loads when i was selling my car and my computer.

They end you a cheque, that will never cash, and then you sen then the western union money transfer to refund them the difference which is not traceable once they have picked up the cash! simple!

Rory

It is just possible that Rory missed the joke in a different direction than some of our other correspondents...

I think this article is really borderline offensive. There is no need whatsoever to immediately link Nigeria with this sort of stuff, as a > journalist you are just reinforcing stereotypes. If you would really > want to write about this "event" you could have chosen much more interesting angles (e.g. success of entry level phones such as Nokia 1100 in Nigeria, importance of emerging markets for mobile phone sales, etc. etc.). You really went for the easy one.

You don't write for the Daily Mail do you? Cheers,

Bart

Isn't your snarky piece about the billionth Nokia phone to Nigeria just blatant racism? Or do you genuinely believe that the entire population of 129m Nigerians are 419 scammers?

Not normally disgusted, but disgusted.

M Atherton

Oh dear. Well, Bart, Mike, we would direct your attention to the many (many) stories we have run poking fun at a very wide variety of nations, without prejudice, as it were. We can assure you that much like the current US administration, our piss-taking recognises no international borders.

Shock news emerged this week: mobile phones annoy people, especially at work. Come on, stop falling over like that. We did warn you it was shocking:

I have two points: we want to be able tor receive SMSs immediately, so we should be tolerant of others when they receive them, although strictly in moderation.

Basic manners come into play: if you receive a call/SMS that you'd like to take, you should ask the permission of those whom you're with, if you may take the call. Likewise, with people calling you on the train/bus: one should tolerate a call/SMS as long as it does not intrude upon fellow passengers. People can talk/chat quietly (They don't, but it is possible).

However, that people don't consider others is a sign that we are moving towards a less considerate, more ego-centric society.

Secondly, I work in Switzerland. Here our (personal) mobiles are considered semi-business property. My personal mobile number is printed on my business card and customers/suppliers ask for this number as a matter of course. As a consequence, most of the calls to mobiles are work-related, and the necessary allowance is made. All parties (except the caller) may not like it, but is now a status-quo.

Indeed, it was reported in local newspapers yesterday that there are now [more] active mobile numbers than people here. A division of public and private life, no doubt.

Regards, Sean Redmond

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the bloody annoying ringtones some muppets insist on having at full volume...

Cliff

Great advice for slackers with unimportant jobs! Tradefloor workers better not heed any of that as traders will stomp up from the floor to shove the phone you haven't answered up your own arse, and rightly so!

K Rgds,

Guy

Good Stuff.

Now, any advice regarding those who insist on playing their music on their phones crappy little speaker whilst sitting behind me on the bus? Are they not aware that shite music sounds even worse when played at waveform-clipping volumes?